Thank you for the post Bob.
But once i hear Western Union, even if the deal super sweet, i walk away. Regardless of who offers it and what is being offered.
Also, the sweeter the deal, the more cautious i get. That is just a rule of thumb.
Where i come from, people have an old saying - "Free cheese is only in a mouse trap."

Hey, can we please get stickies for the ubiquitous Nigerian lottery email scams and confidence men trying to sell unsuspecting tourists the Brooklyn Bridge?

How about a sticky about the hazards of running with scissors?

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago when the internet was relatively new, I could see how someone could get duped by one of these scamming jerks. But, unless one has been living in a cave five miles beneath the earth's surface, I don't see how it is possible to get taken by one of these scams. One would have to be pretty dim. This wasn't even a good scam, the email is vague referring to items and the wording is strange as if English isn't the email composer's first language.

Sorry, I was being a smart arse before as I am often want to do. And I apologize profusely if I have offended anyone.

I guess this thread was stickied because some people with want ads on TW were being contacted by this guy's software (if he uses software.) Why am I thinking he is probably a manual spammer? What he lacks in wit, he makes up for in ambition.

By the way, sruckauf, I have that unspecified item you have been requesting to purchase. Are you still seriously needing to purchase the unspecified item because if you are, I have the unspecified item in my possession and I am seriously desiring to do business with you. Wire me $300 immediately and I will send to you the unspecified item you are so seriously requesting to purchase.

Thank you,
Mr. Fearsome Forehand
Executive President for Sales of Unspecified Items That Are Seriously Requested
and Director of Want Ad Responses to Far Off Lands
United Bank of Kenya

hahahah i just called clark lawrence the scammer who is actually indian and i went off at him swearing saying you'r a sccammer and he was just saying "why you say this"?? hahah i hate scammers. everybody call his number and tell him you've been found here is hes number\
CLARK LAWRENCE
LONDON UK
+447024020824

Regarding Western Union usage, the downside primarily seems tied to sending funds via that service, not receiving them. I can't see a downside of using WU as a means of receiving cash payment picked up at a local WU agent.. Might be better as a seller than PP in that the buyer/sender pays the fees, not the recipient/seller. Seller gets cash so no PP chargeback risk nonsense.

However, be extremely careful to whom you give your bank account info. Better to have cash sent to a local Western Union agent that you can pick up as opposed to giving your unencrypted bank info out to a stranger (which you shouldn't do unless it is an account that you keep virtually empty). I gave an account number out once for a wire transfer on a Rolex sale but the buyer had impeccable references as a Rolex collector. Not sure I would ever do that again though. (And I also had a guy insist on sending me hundreds in cash for rackets via carrier once. I wouldn't recommend that practice either.)

Bottom line: Never wire money to someone you don't know or trust 100%. However, if someone is willing to wire you cash for pick up at a WU agency based on your stellar reputation as a seller, no problem.

This also points out why it is a very bad idea to post your email address within your classified ad. By doing so, you are inviting spam and phishing/fraud. Don't post your email address; instead, make the other party contact you through the TW system. Just make sure you have enabled messaging through TW.

I was actually about to send this same guy a check because he had part time home mailing positions that he claimed paid very well in an email to my home email account.

Being that I need part time work and was intrigued, I applied, and eventually got accepted for PT work in his organization.

Had it not been for your warning I may have lost $150 and a lot of time.

What you are doing here is a great service, thank you!

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FYI: Those work at home deals are almost always scams. NEVER send money for training materials, etc tied to these sorts of work at home deals. Too good to be true for a reason. Legitimate employers aren't going to ask you to send them money.

Just like confidence men, scammers live off the naive and the desperate. I am always amazed that people get taken in by this stuff.

There are programs that hunt out email addresses from websites and nigerians who manually go to web sites searching for email addresses.
Either way, you are inviting spam and phishing by posting your email address online.

There are programs that hunt out email addresses from websites and nigerians who manually go to web sites searching for email addresses.
Either way, you are inviting spam and phishing by posting your email address online.

hahahah i just called clark lawrence the scammer who is actually indian and i went off at him swearing saying you'r a sccammer and he was just saying "why you say this"?? hahah i hate scammers. everybody call his number and tell him you've been found here is hes number\
CLARK LAWRENCE
LONDON UK
+447024020824

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All, I was also recently frauded by aka Clark Lawrence

He swindled me out of approx $200 usd via WU and then gave me this story that the rackets were being heldup at customs and he needed another $200 tax to have them released

As OP indicates, this person is very professional ... has fake references that vouce for him and even has an elaborate currier website that takes his fake tracking numbers to look like he actually sent something and it is being held up for tax.
The work that these pro scammers now do to swindle buyers out of $$$ is really extensive !

If anyone is keeping up with this, I got two this morning via different names. Here they are:
I am into sale of rackets of diffrerent kinds in good and new
condition for sale.my prices are affordable and negotiable. i have the items you are requesting to purchase If interested kindly give me a mail...I will be waiting.
Whats your phone # ?
maurice longshank
32 York street W1U 6PZ United Kingdommslong259@gmail.com
+447024020824

And here is the second one...
I am into sale of rackets of diffrerent kinds in good and new condition for sale.my prices are affordable and negotiable. i have the item you are requesting to purchase, If interested kindly give me a mail...I will be waiting.
Whats your phone # ?

Check that out! The phone number is how you spot it! But mine was sent under the name Alvin Martins. Here's the exact message.

I am into sale of spare parts of diffrerent kinds in good and new condition for sale.my prices are affordable and negotiable. i have the parts you are requesting to purchase, If interested kindly give me a mail...I will be waiting.
Whats your phone # ?

-- I am into sale of Rackets of diffrerent kinds in good and new condition my prices are affordable and negotiable.i have the requested item you are requesting to purchase, If interested kindly give me a mail...I will be waiting.
Whats your phone # ?

By the way, sruckauf, I have that unspecified item you have been requesting to purchase. Are you still seriously needing to purchase the unspecified item because if you are, I have the unspecified item in my possession and I am seriously desiring to do business with you. Wire me $300 immediately and I will send to you the unspecified item you are so seriously requesting to purchase.

Thank you,
Mr. Fearsome Forehand
Executive President for Sales of Unspecified Items That Are Seriously Requested
and Director of Want Ad Responses to Far Off Lands
United Bank of Kenya

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Thank you for the hilarious laugh you gave me today. This is priceless.

so according to Fearsome Forehand, with PP as a seller after you got your money they can actually charge back and you can still lose money? in that case what about millions of transactions on the Bay that conducted via PP? now i am freaking nervous guys.

so according to Fearsome Forehand, with PP as a seller after you got your money they can actually charge back and you can still lose money? in that case what about millions of transactions on the Bay that conducted via PP? now i am freaking nervous guys.

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Yes...The buyer has all the clout with PayPal. PP can freeze not only your PayPal account but your attached checking/savings account. The bay is all about protecting the buyer these days. You can't even leave Bad Feedback for a buyer.. Am I not right? You can roast the Seller to be sure. There is limited protection from PayPal when you are outside the The Bay.

Yes...The buyer has all the clout with PayPal. PP can freeze not only your PayPal account but your attached checking/savings account. The bay is all about protecting the buyer these days. You can't even leave Bad Feedback for a buyer.. Am I not right? You can roast the Seller to be sure. There is limited protection from PayPal when you are outside the The Bay.

Click to expand...

Not totally true. PayPal also screws buyers. I was done over BIGTIME by PayPal/e-Bay.

Seller got away scotfree, left me with a duff item and de-registered from both PayPal and e-Bay stat!

I wish there was a credible alternative but there isn't. They keep bleating on about buyer protection but when push comes to shove, they can be ****e!

well as i learnt today you CAN NOT leave a Negative feedback about a buyer. The Feedback options was:

1) Positive
2) Leave feedback later

i mean, WTF??? what kind of feedback option is that??? might as well do the feedback for the seller themselves and not bother us doing it for them! that is the most retarded feedback option available to mankind.

when i am done with my inventory, i am not doing business on that site again.